The 10th of October is Mental Health Day. It is an opportunity to raise awareness on mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. We wish to take part in this worldwide movement by adding our contribution on the topic of mental health at the workplace. And to make this article even more insightful and interesting for you, we’ve invited our partner Kyan Health to engage in the discussion.
|
Kyan Health is specialized in Mental Health and offers well-being services for employees and their families. If you want to learn more about how Kyan Health can support you on your mental health journey, you can reach out to them at hello@kyanhealth.com |
The Current State of Wellbeing
The World Health Organization (WHO) states different risks to mental health at work among which poor working environments, discrimination and inequality, excessive workloads, inflexible hours, organizational culture that enables negative behaviors and conflicting home/work demands.
-
WHO estimates that 12 billion working days at a cost of US 1 trillion dollars per year is lost in productivity due to depression and anxiety.
-
According to the Job Stress Index, CHF 6,5 million could be saved every year in Switzerland by limiting stress factors at the workplace.
-
According to a study of 3.4 million employees by Great Place To Work, 46% of the global workforce feels underserved by their organizations.
-
According to INDEED data, only 29% of U.S. workers report high wellbeing.
-
According to Kyan Health data, in Europe the situation is only marginally better, with only 38% of employees in DACH-based multinationals using Kyan Health reporting high wellbeing.
Those numbers only emphasize one thing: we can and must do better!
The Imperative of Employee Wellbeing
Investing in employee wellbeing isn't just good ethics—it's good business. A study by the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre found that U.S. companies actively investing in wellbeing also outperform in terms of profitability and market valuation. But it’s crucial to understand that wellbeing is inherently human; addressing it effectively means recognizing its multi-dimensional aspects.
The Employee Experience
Wellbeing thrives where growth, social, and foundational needs are met. According to Kyan Health’s data, an increase in growth needs —such as learning, energy, and achievement—correlates with a 25.2% boost in overall wellbeing scores.
According to a recent study conducted by Great Place To Work Switzerland, 79% of employees at Best Workplaces™ are given the resources to develop further professionally, only 54% would say the same in the average Swiss organization. This is one of the reason, Best Workplaces™ have a competitive advantage and thrive more than the average organization.
A survey of Kyan Health users showed that only 18% tracked positive feelings (e.g., empowerment, sense of accomplishment, sense of worth, and confidence) related to work and career, with 'tiredness' being the most common negative emotion. It is time to act!
Holistic View of Wellbeing
Kyan Health takes a holistic view of wellbeing, focusing on five key life areas: mind, body, work, relationships, and recreation. The analysis of data from over 1'000 users shows that while employees generally feel satisfied with their relationships, only 46% find them inspiring and 35% educational. Moreover, 26% don't feel supported by their managers. When it comes to mental well-being, 44% of employees feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities and 56% struggle with self-acceptance. These figures underscore the importance of addressing foundational and social needs, including effective workload management and psychological safety.
The role of workplace culture
Can a great workplace culture help prevent mental health issues? The answer is yes and here is why we can confidently affirm this quoting only 3 areas which WHO has stated as relevant for mental health: psychological safety, work-life balance and having the possibility to take time off when necessary.
According to Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, psychological safety can be defined as a shared belief among team members that other team members will not be embarrassed, rejected, or punished for speaking their minds. We could include here the courage to take risks and make mistakes without facing negative consequences.
Great Place To Work's Trust Index™ questionnaire includes a statement that rates psychological safety. The numbers will speak for themselves:
80% of the employees in Best Workplaces answered positively to the statements “This is a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work” in 2023. Only 56% would say the same in the average Swiss organization. When it comes to balancing work and personal life, 80% of the employees in Best Workplaces state that they are encouraged to do so against only 52% in the average Swiss organization. 86% of the employees working in a Best Workplaces can take time off from work when they think it is necessary. Only 60% can do so in the average Swiss organization.
These a just 3 examples to illustrate that not all employees operate under the same conditions, let alone stress, when it comes to fitting in a medical appointment for a sick child or taking care on a loved one or pursuing a passion outside of work. But here is the good news: raising those topics regularly and bringing them to the attention of organizations pay off as we see that the average Swiss organization has improved on the topic of psychological safety. The endorsement rate to that statement improved from 50% in 2018 to 56% in 2021.
If we were to sum up Kyan Health and Great Place To Work recommendations for Organizations, it would come down to these 4 domains:
-
Measure Holistically: don’t settle on a tool that would give you only one aspect.
-
Invest in Growth Needs: it will be good both for increasing skills in your organization but also on retention and employee’s well-being.
-
Emphasize Psychological Safety: create an environment where employees feel safe to express themselves and take risks without fear of negative repercussions.
-
Foster Inspiring Relationships at the workplace and make sure your employees still have the time and resources to invest in relationships outside of work by balancing workload.
The journey toward improving employee wellbeing is only beginning. The next phase requires moving beyond awareness to offering effective, confidential channels for growth and development. As research in this area continues to evolve, one thing is starting to become clear: organizations that act decisively in support of employee wellbeing will be the ones that flourish.
At Great Place To Work, we strongly believe in our mission: helping organization becoming Great Place To Work for All. As more and more organization embrace this path and the unemployment rate is at its lowest score since 1999, employees will demand to work for organizations which care about them, their mental, health, their work life balance, and their professional fulfilment. What could still be seen as a luxury or a matter of choice today, will soon be a must as the shortage of talent will become worst.
The real "right time" to invest in well-being and workplace culture is when things are going well. This proactive approach fosters sustainable high performance, enhances culture, and helps attract and retain top talent.
Start your journey towards a great workplace today!
